Which of the following is NOT listed as a suspicious order?

• A. Orders placed by a registered pharmacy in good standing
• B. Orders of unusual size
• C. Orders deviating substantially from a normal pattern
• D. Orders of unusual frequency

Answer: (A)

Suspicious orders are identified by patterns that depart from what a facility normally buys, signaling potential diversion or misuse. An order from a registered pharmacy in good standing is a normal, expected customer with an established procurement pattern and compliance status, so simply being from a licensed pharmacy does not make it suspicious.

In contrast, unusually large orders, orders that come in with unusual frequency, and those that deviate markedly from a pharmacy’s normal purchasing pattern are red flags because they suggest abnormal demand, stockpiling, or routing for non-legitimate use. Regulators focus on these indicators to detect possible diversion, rather than on the legitimacy of the purchaser itself.